Continuous-drip disinfector.



PATBNTBDOCT. 9, 1906.,

No. 832,700. i

J.`D. ROG-KWELL. CONTINUOUS DRIP DISINFEGTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1905.

A ttest ca., waxnmmu. n. c.

UNITED STATES JAMES D. ROOKWELL, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

CONTINUOUS-DRH DISINFECTOR. i

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application led September 27, 1905- SSTH N0' 280,351

T0 all whom it may concer-7?,.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs D. RocKwELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous-Drip Disinfectors, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a cheap, serviceable, and efficient continuousdrip disinfector which will be serviceable for holding and delivering a disinfectant, particularly one which is of a watery nature as distinguished from one which is of an oily nature, as will be described hereinafter; and a further object is to improve the construction of such a device to permit it to be readily installed and as readily cared for without allowing any of the parts to be interfered with by a meddler or by any one excepting that person who has the care of the particular apparatus.

In my United States Patent N o. 680,621, dated August 13, 1901, I have described a disinfector for continuously delivering disinfecting fluid by means of a wick and capillary attraction. Such device, while efficient in all cases where the disinfectant contains oil in a large degree, is not so efficient where the disinfectant contains water in a large degree. Saturation of the wick can be obtained with water, but no sure and continuous feed. If the disinfecting solution contains substances mixed with the water which will allow it to feed through a Wick, in a short time the wick will become clogged by these additional substances and proper feed may be prevented.

My invention overcomes these difficulties by doing away with the capillary feed and wick, as will be described.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to make use of a receptacle for the reservoir which contains the disinfectant and the feeding means which is in two parts, one part adapted to be secured to the wall and carry the operative parts of the apparatus and the other part preferably as a hinged cover which is adapted to be locked yto the first part. I preferably form the bottom or base of the receptacle with a plurality of openings, any one of which is adapted to receive the pipe, passage, or outlet for the disinfectant. The reservoir which holds the disinfectant liquid is preferably a closed vessel-that is,

`closed upon all sides, but provided with a small opening near one end. This vessel I have shown in this application as being of cylindrical shape, though any other shaped vessel might perform the same functions. I preferably form a detachable tray which may be of the cross-section of the receptacle, and I may provide it with a passage or pipe which may register with or pass through one of the openings in the base when the device is in use. The upper end of this pipe is preferably located at a level slightly higher than the bottom of the tray, and in order to make the size of the opening to the pipe adjustable I prefer to provide a needle-valve adjacent to it and adjustable from within the receptacle, though such valve may be located elsewhere, if desired. The reservoir for the disinfectant is placed on the tray sothat its upper limit of discharge from the single opening will be above the level of the outlet-pipe. This insures a construction which will permit the feed of watery disinfectant from the receptacle to the tray, maintaining at alltimes a constant level in the tray, which level will always exist a certain height above the feed drip-outlet. Consequently there will be little pressure tending to cause the disinfectant to pass the valve; but that pressure will at all times be uniform.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a cross-section upon the line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a cross-section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the tray with the needle-valve removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cylindrical reservoir, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the casing for holding the apparatus, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section of a modified construction.

As shown in the drawings, I provide a perforated casing composed of two parts. One (designated by 1i is adapted to be secured by screws 2 2 passing through its back plate, while the other, 3, is hinged at the upper end of the first and is adapted to be secured thereto at its lower end by a padlock 4, as shown particularly in Fig. 1. These two parts I prefer lto construct with sides which are of triangular shape, so that the part l, secured to the wall, will have its base 5 in the form of a substantial platform, which may be provided with a plurality of openings 6 6, upon which platform the tray 7 may be deposited with the pipe or outlet-passage 8 in register with one of the four openings 6 shown in this case. Above the opening 8 I prefer to locate a needlevalve 9 and a IlO bracket 10, provided with an adjacent thumb-nut 11, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 6. The reservoir 12 is shown in my preferred form as composed of a cylindrical vessel provided with an opening 13 near its lower edge. This o ening 13 limits the height to which the iquid may i'low as it passes into the tray 7. It will be seen that the outlet 8 in the tray is of a level which while not as high as the level established by the opening 13 is nevertheless higher than the bottom of the tray.

In operation liquid is placed in the receptacle 12, which is immediately inserted into the tray 7, as shown in Fig. 1, the needle* valve 9` adjusted,andthe two-part casing secured together by the lock 4. The liquid then ilows from 13 and creates a level in the tray, such as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. With a pressure equal to the head of liquid between said dotted line of the outlet to the passage 8 the liquid will be caused by gravity to feed past the valve 9 in such quantity as the valve may regulate. This head will be maintained constant until the liquid in the reservoir 12 is completely exhausted.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of v disinfector comprising a reservoir 14, with an opening 15 near its lower 'edge which opens into a trough 16, all integral, if desired.

In the trough 16 there is located a pipe 17, eX- tending through the bottom of the trough and open at a distance above the lower level of the trough, but below the level of the disinfectant, which may pass out of the opening 15. The needle-valve 18, in this case fastened to the bracket 19, is regulated by a thumb-nut 20. The operation of this device will obviously be the same as that heretofore described but it is not provided with the type of casing heretofore described, nor with the detachable arts, which greatly add to the usefulness, ready manipulation, and ready repair of a disinfector of this type A disinfector for continuous-drip disinfection comprising a shallow open pan having an open drip-opening therein, a needle-valve in said opening, a closed reservoir at its bottom edge resting on and in intimate contact with the pan, the wall of said reservoir having an opening slightly above said edge and slightly above the level of the drip-opening in the pan.

Signed at New York city this 13th day of September, 1905.

JAMES D. ROCKWELL.

Witnesses:

LAURA M. Scor'r, F. WARREN WRIGHT. 

